Well, it’s not every day I post a selection of my drawers on the ‘Spill. Plenty more where these came from – annoyingly you can’t really fill to the back of the drawers because if you pull them out too far they fall on your foot.
You know the drill by now – 11 pieces of music, which one will you cast to the wind? This week they are all instrumental, which makes it slightly harder, I think. Stop trying to read the titles on those cassettes, and get cracking!
Again, sorry if I’m slow to respond to comments, young’un is poorly so I’m dipping into the ‘Spill when I can. Keeps me sane (?).
1. Denise at 16 – Al Stewart: This is from “Bedsitter Images”, his first album released in 1967, although I had the re-release which came out around 1970. I probably bought it second-hand; it was a prized possession at the time.
2. Monsieur le Maire de Niafunke – Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate: This is from the 2005 album “In The Heart Of The Moon”, which is probably one of the most beautiful albums EVER.
3. The Violet Hour – The Civil Wars: The Violet Hour is a play by Richard Greenberg. I assume this is where the title comes from – it’s evocative, with a kind of church bell toll suggestive of time passing.
4. Vavarano – Henry Kaiser and David Lindley: From the album “A World Out Of Time”. Pairubu posted something by Kaleidoscope recently, which reminded me of David Lindley and this excellent album.
5. Keldabrae – Ivan Drever: I once bought someone a bottle of Highland Park (whisky from Orkney), which came with a free cassette, “Isles Ne’er Forgotten”, by Ivan Drever. A great album which I recently downloaded.
6. Sidi Brahim – John Renbourn: I have probably raved about this before, and I make no apologies for doing so again. Even young Munday likes it, “it’s relaxing”.
7. Save The Bees – Lau: Kris Drever from Lau is the son of Ivan Drever (see above). This is a superb piece of music from “Race The Loser”, which came out last year. You can hear the drone of the bees.
8. En stjarna faller – Martin Tingvall: Thanks to DebbyM for drawing my attention to this beautiful falling star music.
9. Hornpipes A) Fisherman’s Lilt and B) Cronin’s Hornpipe – Planxty: From their 1973 album “The Well Below The Valley”, which I bought in France, oddly enough. I had such a crush on Andy Irvine.
10. Mood For A Day – Yes: Steve Howe, great guitarist.
11. God Speed The Plough – Stackridge: Now don’t be like that, give it a listen. There are no words to irritate you and it was 1974. Every band should have an epic moment.
Hi Ali, hope you had a good birthday yesterday. Quite a lot of new songs for me here, and artists.
1. Lovely guitar, very gentle and sweet.
2. Agreed, absolutely beautiful. Like a spring dream.
3. I don’t know the Civil Wars, except for an interview in a music mag, I didn’t imagine they’d sound like this at all, it’s really very appealing, I must check them out further.
4. This was less appealing, I’ll have to think about why…
5. Very lilting and lovely interplay between the violin and guitars, sounds a bit medieval to my ears, keeper.
6. John Renbourn must always be raved about! Love it.
7. Mm, I watched the highlights of the BBC2 Folk Awards the other week, coz Roy Harper was on it, and I think there were on there. It’s great when it goes all Phillip Glass in the middle, quite a full sound, but not overdone.
8. Pretty like a lullaby.
9. At the risk of upsetting Treefrogdemon and you, I’m not a fan of the pipes, sorry.
10. Unexpected sound from Yes, I’m afraid I have some probably invalid preconceptions about the band, this is very accomplished.
11. Stackridge, I had no idea what it might sound like, this reminds me of Debussy, I like it. Always a fan of flutes.
A lovely calming and thoughtful selection, Ali, I’m glad to have heard all of them, but I don’t really want to listen to number 9 again, my Celtic blood is obviously not thick enough for it.
Glad you enjoyed (mostly) – I thought (9) might be one of the prime candidates for banishment but we shall see …
And yes, thanks, a good day yesterday with my cousin. Even managed a beer. Yay!
I really like most of your list, it’s so interesting what these things reveal about people’s taste
1. Lovely
2. Absolutely beautiful. Toumani Diabete plays the kora, right? Sublime stuff. I may have mentioned my love for the kora and harp duet on Joanna Newsom’s Go Long.
3. This is very lovely too – the only other Civil Wars track I know is their rather excellent cover of “Billie Jean” that someone posted as an earworm. “The Violet Hour” is a quote from T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land:
At the violet hour, when the eyes and back
Turn upward from the desk, when the human engine waits
Like a taxi throbbing waiting
I Tiresias, though blind, throbbing between two lives
Old man with wrinkled female breasts, can see
At the violet hour, the evening hour that strives
Homeward, and brings the sailor home from sea
4. Twiddly and pretty – like the understated virtuosity here.
5. My attention’s wandering a little (I am trying to get some work done…) but this is very lovely too.
6. Never heard a flute playing Indian-style music before – it works.
7. Not so pretty, but engaging – like the way it breaks down at the end.
8. Perfect loveliness again – would have liked more of this.
9. Not a great bagpipe fan either – I can admire this, without especially wanting to listen to it.
10. Passed me by a little
11. It’s good, but trying a bit too hard I think – this is the point where I’d rather jump across and listen to some “proper” classical music.
Really lovely list overall, Ali. I’d expected some background music that wouldn’t distract me too much, but all that deserved a proper listen – not good for my productivity, but good for the soul. I could dispense with the last three tracks; keeping the rest, with your Farka Toure namesake and Toumani Diabate probably the stand-out.
In keeping with the style of this list, have you heard Goldmund?
Thanks Barbryn, the Goldmund is new to me, and very lovely.
I should have spotted The Waste Land reference – there goes any credibility for my Literature degree – I wrote a parody of that part of the poem too, after the exam, as a “thank you” to my tutor. (Well, you had to be there, really). I’ll spare you the details.
Agree, that was absolutely gorgeous.
Ali, you’re not actually Wendy Cope are you?
The Thames runs, bones rattle, rats creep;
Tiresias fancies a peep–
A typist is laid,
A record is played–
Wei la la. After this it gets deep.
From The Waste Land: Five Limericks
http://thebestamericanpoetry.typepad.com/the_best_american_poetry/2009/09/the-waste-land-five-limericks-by-wendy-cope.html
I’ve just listened to the Lau album on Spotify – really interesting stuff. Now onto Ali and Toumani…
This made me laugh. My version had something to do with a silk hat on a Bradford English don (the exam was in Bradford) but, mercifully, I can’t remember much more of it and I think the manuscript is buried in the attic …
Happy (belated) Birthday, Ali!
May be a day or 2 until i can get here for obvious reasons, but really looking forward to it.
Thank you!
Ali,
I’m speed-reading (no listening) whilst waiting for a long doc to print.
I have two Goldmund albums, largely thanks to Mnemonic. Can’t remember: do you ‘Box?
Let me know by direct email or via mobile, not sure I’ll get back here …
I like instrumentals (stupid generalizing statement I know) but I find it hard to judge a list of them because the mood just takes over and the lack of lyrics makes it hard to remember each individual reaction.
So- listening for the fourth time……..
1) Beautiful lovely soothing.
2) Ditto but more sprightly and a bit tingly.
3) I know The Civil Wars but I don’t know this. Haunting.
4) Still soothes the fevered brow but a bit more challenging in its way. Liked it though.
5) I could imagine this as the opening theme of a BBC costume drama. Very viisual.
6) Love this. Wish I could play like that.
7) That is amazing. Epic.
8) Gorgeous.
9) I quite like a bit of bagpipe of an evening. Liked this a lot.
10) Haven’t listened to this for years. I reckon he’d been listening to Davy Graham.. Lovely stuff.
11) I’ve got nothing against Stackridge. This is good. A bit Rite of Spring in places.
er………………………….
if I have to, I’ll ditch Henry Kaiser and David Lindley – albeit very reluctantly because there wasn’t a track there that I didn’t like.
Glad you enjoyed 4 times!
First time I heard “Save The Bees” I didn’t like it at all but can’t stop listening to it now; strange how things grow on you (or me, in this case).
Ok, here we go…
1)Al Stewart – Well you know I am a massive Al fan, so there’s no way he’s going, besides, this is one of his most radiant instrumental guitar gems, a highlight of that album.
2) Stunning tune, heard some Toumani Diabate stuff on late junction a while back and fell in love with it then – hearing this has pushed this album up my “obtain soon” list.
3) Violet Hour – another favourite, haunting and beautiful
4) Henry Kaiser and David Lindley – A bit spiky, it kind of scuttles about like a drunk spider, probably not a bad feeling after the languid tones of Violet Hour, admire it for the virtuosity, but it does tire my ear a little quickly (particularly as all the twiddly bits are in high registers) – possible candidate for eviction.
5) Ivan Drever – Very “Al Stewarty”, which suddenly makes me notice the Scottish influence on his guitar picking style – certainly has the flavour of a classical European folk dance, pleasing to the ear
6) John Renbourn – would not have guessed it was Renbourne! Logical though, reminds me a bit of Davey Graham’s ventures into North African music. Love the flute. Certainly keep.
7) Lau – Wasn’t sure at first, sounded a bit generic but love the way it suddenly starts building from around 1m40s and musically does some really odd, unfolky things, the minimalist passages, rapid modulations and returns, tempo shifts – very clever, want to hear more.
8) Martin Tingvall – wow, insanely delicate, like a fairy dancing on the piano. Just beautiful and it knows exactly when it’s time is up. Perfect.
9) Planxty – I grew up in a house filled with Irish music so I have no beef with the pipes per se and I do like a lot of Planxty’s music (more the vocal end), but this did feel a bit repetitive and didn’t quite grab me, possibly out
10) Yes – I would not have recognised it as Yes, some great Flamenco influences on this, keep.
11) Right, am going in totally open minded to this and am going to type as I listen– there’s multiple influences in here – it’s got that sort of pastoral flavour of early Vaughan Williams, the flute playing is picking up some Eastern Scales such as you would find in Russian music, then the fiddle goes all Hungarian – am not hearing the Debussy I must say, to direct and not impressionistic enough – the middle section maybe has a touch of Faure about it (sort of lyrical French feel). To be honest, my problem with it is that it is using a lot of elements of arrangement and orchestration of classical music, throwing them all together in a mishmash, but the underlying musical idea is not that interesting and it doesn’t really develop it or take it anywhere, it just keeps repeating it with some not especially interesting variations. Don’t really like it much, feels like its trying to be more than it really is.
This is difficult as it is a fine and very enjoyable selection – but I think it’s between Stackridge and Henry Kaiser & David Lindley for me – I guess that I have to admire the ambition of the Stackridge track, even if the content isn’t quite there, so will be elbowing out Henry Kaiser & David Lindley.
Thanks for sharing though, a very enjoyable selection (and a belated happy birthday by the way!)
From last weeks RtJ post, the forthcoming schedule for this is:
March 5 – DsD
March 12 – Punky
March 19 – Fintan
March 26 – Beltway
April 2 – SHA
April 9 – Tfd
April 16 -
April 23 -
April 30 -
Have realised that I am likely to be on vacation on March 26th – think Fintan is as well, just wondering if anyone else would swap (Punky/SHA etc?) – not a major prob as I know I can schedule for autopublish, but would like to be around….
thanks
If next week isn’t too soon for you, BB, I’ll swap.
Absolutely crapping myself now about next week’s HSE revisit, and how much work I have to do between now and Monday.
Actually, that would be spot on DsD, have got some time towards the end of the week, so we would be doing each other a favour – your’re on!
Ta. G’night.
excellent, cheers fella
Beltway -
are you ok with the tech stuff? If you want to do a Spill player like Ali’s, Tfd, Punky, or DsD ought to have instructions that they can email you. Alternatively, i’m perfectly available for help, or to do a player for you, my email is botanicalphoto@gmail.com.
If you want to do one with the new player (like on Shane’s most recent list a few posts back), i left instructions on how to do that in Panther’s Spillgame thread from last week.
Cheers Amy, should be ok, I did a practice post over the weekend where I managed to get a miniplaylist working and stuff – minor mess up over inserting a page break, but other than that, I should be ok – might try the new style player as it’s a bit more user friendly – will deffo give you a shout if I get stuck though! thanks
Thank you! I thought Planxty or Stackridge would be the main candidates for expulsion but am surprised at the number of people who aren’t so keen on the Henry Kaiser / David Lindley. Just goes to show …
Quite a pleasant listen this evening. Really enjoyed the Toumani & Renbourne offerings. Contenders both, but Keldabrae was a stunner. Love the blend of influences so it gets top billing. If I have to escort someone out the hall I guess it would be the Planxty tune. The pipe doesn’t bother me. Quite like it actually but it was a bit samey after awhile.
Thanks for listening, glad you enjoyed (most of it).
Great stuff and almost all new to me…a real range and nary a bad one in the bunch…and I’ll cop that the one or two I’m least taken with (Planxty and Stackridge) could grow on me and since ol’Al has always kind of eluded me… well, he’d be the one I’d vote off, but not happily.
and I should’ve wished you a happy birthday earlier–happy happy joy joy
Thanks!
I really enjoyed listening to the playlist and liked all the tracks very much, but if i really had to cut one out it would be “Vavarano – Henry Kaiser and David Lindley” Just because I thought it was too much technique and not enough feeling . . .maybe . . .
But it was a great list ! ! !
Thanks Sakura, hope all is well with you.
Hi Ali,
Some good stuff here and although I’m familiar with some of the artists, I had not heard any of the tracks before.
Like others, the stand out for me was number 2 Toure & Diabate..
For some reason track 5 didn’t play. (Highland Park is a wonderful single malt though).
A couple brought other artists to mind. 4 reminded me of Alex De Grassi, and 8 was a bit like Debussy.
Not totally a lover of pipes but Planxty was (were ?) good.
Hard to pick one that I’d ditch, but if pushed it would have to be Yes.
Btw. Thanks for asking about Mrs. blue earlier in the week. She’s fine now but owing to a cock up on our part we didn’t make a follow up appointment and now have to wait until March 7th. for the cast to be removed. Unfortunately this is the day that I travel back to the U.K. for a 10 day visit.
Hospitals are hopeless for fixing appointments at the most inconvenient time possible … anyone would think they had sick people to deal with, or something. Currently waiting to hear from Leeds for young’un’s next round of tests and can’t plan anything! Hope all goes well for Mrs B.
Not sure why track 5 didn’t play but it’s in the Box thanks to blog elves (Tinny?) and Spotify as well if you want it.
Good luck!
Ok, duty done, now i can settle in here. And what a lovely looking list to reset the brain after so much newfangled electronic music.
1) Al Stewart – My, this is starting out gorgeously. Oh, it’s an instrumental. Well it’s not going anywhere.
2) Toure and Ali – This was one of two at least that i knew already. Pure bliss.
3) The Civil Wars – This is lovely. I’m loving this list so far.
4) Kaiser and Lindley – And another beauty. Does anything suck on this list?
5) Ivan Drever – ditto.
6) John Renbourne – nice too.
7) Lau – very nice.
8) Martin Tingvall – So beautiful. Wish it lasted longer.
9) Planxty – I love bagpipes.
10) Yes – This is the other one that i already knew. It’s in my blood a bit, so probably not a lot of objectivity, but sounds quite good in this mix.
11) Stackridge – Got no real problem with this one either except that it’s maybe a bit film-scorish, can almost see the fairies skipping through the woods in some parts.
Well Ali, that was probably my favorite playlist so far. I could live without tossing any of them, but if i have to, i guess it’s S********e. I’m bookmarking this one, can play it straight through while i work, without any wish that any song would just hurry up and be done with. Thanks so much, perfect end to my guru stint this week.
Glad you enjoyed and well done on taking on guru duties. Too much for me!
Pssst!
Ali, and Amy, and anyone else who clicked on the youtube vid Barney posted above:
28 pieces of loveliness in two chunks currently loading into the ‘Box. Will be gone again before RR TOFF.
Thank you much!
Might actually get some work done this week now.
Thank you!
Looking forward to this…am at home sick (my first sick day for about 5 years!)
1. Never heard of him, but this is great. Reminds me of……hmmm…something…
2. Yes, beautiful is certainly the word for it – loved this.
3. Nice, but didn’t grab me. I’ve heard other tracks of theirs and have never been quite convinced either.
4. Liked the fiddlyness (??) here – keep
5. Bit too Hey Nonny Nonny for my tastes..
6. This is more like it. Wow! Great!
7. Missed most of this attending to baby…but it sounded good at the end!
8. Just beautiful. Very soothing.
9. Not so keen on the pipes I’m afraid…
10. Not what I expected, hardly even a sniff of a cape….liked it a lot.
11. Didn’t think I was going to enjoy this, but I don’t mind a good bit of excess now and again.
This was an amazing playlist overall, but I think I’d have to lose the bagpipes and definitely keep the John Renbourn. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed, another nay for the pipes, though …
I’ve had a couple of listens so far, Ali, and I’m really struggling to evaluate these. They all contain some very fine and inventive playing in styles I like and, to an extent, attempt myself….. and yet the cumulative effect on me is verging on irritation.
I will try to understand what’s going on and provide a proper response later.
Maybe too much of a muchness – good music for decorating, I finished young Munday’s room with the list on repeat!
Al Stewart. Lovely depth to the guitar tone and I very much like some of the chord changes but the tune got a bit repetitive.
Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate. Beautiful note showers from AFT (I think) but the two-chord repetition passed through hypnotic and became a little dull. When Ry Cooder played that supporting role, he made it more varied and interesting.
The Civil Wars. A rather welcome expansion of the tonal palette. Attractively delicate with, again, some interesting changes. Hazy summer film shot into the sun.
Henry Kaiser and David Lindley. Perhaps rather too introspective: an almost-tune slightly smothered by too many notes. I’d love to see the video of them playing it, though, just to see the interactions.
Ivan Drever. A courtly dance in need of a good sackbut. OK as is, though.
John Renbourn. I’m wary of Eastern fusion stuff – and the tabla needed to take a (quiet) break here and there – but I rather enjoyed this. Some excellent flute & guitar.
Lau. Trying to identify the time signature(s) is driving me nuts! Very effective, like Mumford & Sons in a parallel universe where they are driven by a desire to make good music with tunes. Fantastically odd end.
Martin Tingvall. A nice fragment of something.
Planxty. Can’t fault the execution but I do find these traditional tunes a bit twee sometimes. A bit more raucousness, please.
Yes. Great invention and technique, although I’m not sure it quite hangs together as a piece.
Stackridge. Surprisingly ‘grown-up’ music. Is it from their rock opera or sci-fi movie? Seriously, there’s an impressive musical vocabulary at work here but, again, I’m not sure it adds up to a whole.
There’s nothing I can’t stand here, Ali (despite my earlier irritation), and there’s some excellent playing. I’ll let Planxty go, as their track seemed the least inventive. Ta, chuck (that’s an endearment, not an instruction).
Thanks for listening and for making me laugh. I’m going to award myself a ‘Spill point for not posting anything you can’t stand!! (Second exclamation mark courtesy of Sakura).
Listened to this while doing something else and was surprised when the music stopped cause I’d only been aware of 9 toons. Hmmmmm. Overall very enjoyable (I can never get enough pipes!), but I’d scrap all the others if only I could keep, forever, John Renbourne.
Thanks, Ali!
In the Box if you want Mr Renbourn (not in person, obvs.) …
Very late this week as thought I’d save these tunes for a day I’m meant to be working (which is rather damning them to serve as ‘background music’, but that’s me and instrumentals for you). Anyway…
Al Stewart: Yes, this is a lovely, gentle, plucked thing. Which makes it sound like a docile chicken carcass. Except lovely. It sounded like it was about to end at 2:15. which I thought remarkably restrained. But then it didn’t. Nevertheless, keep.
Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate: I’m just going to say “yes, lovely” for all of these, aren’t I? Yes, lovely.
The Civil Wars: Somehow sounds a little more like a song than a vibey piece of music than the previous two. Me like. Keep.
Henry Kaiser and David Lindley: Back to sounding like a musical atmosphere. Least engaging so far, but that may just be the cumulative effect of not having had a vocal to latch on to.
Ivan Drever: I like this one a bit more, if only because I can hear the Scottishness of it, so that makes for one small point of recognition. I’m starting to crave a bit of something electric now though. (“Judas!”, etc.)
John Renbourn: Pleasantly psychedelic (and almost fulfilling my electric cravings). Of course it’s too long. But on balance, keep.
Gonna take a break (and listen to a load of a cappella shouting). Back when suitably revived…
Right, me again.
Lau: I have a feeling Kris Drever sometimes does stuff with bish fave Roddy Woomble (new album out next week, FYI). Anyway, this builds nicely. Keep.
Martin Tingvall: Nice to hear some piano instead of strings. Possible favourite so far, but that might just be the novelty of it.
Planxty: Ooh crikey, bagpipes. Or hornpipes, I suppose. Nope, least favourite so far.
Yes: No. Only joking – I so wanted that to be my sole response, but this is at least preferable to the pipes (and is gradually banishing their seemingly incessant whine from my ears).
Stackridge: You’re joking, right?! Please don’t tell me you’re responsible for mobilising the Stackridge fanclub over on the Mothership, Ali! I don’t think I could take the disillusionment. Actually, this is listenable enough. It can stay.
So in the end a surprisingly easy decision for me: Planxty to pipe off and never darken my ears again. A very pleasant listen, all told (despite my ‘hilarious’ snitty little comments) – thanks Ali! bb x
Still laughing at the chicken reference.
Definitely NOT responsible for the Stackridge fanclub; they were just a local band when I was growing up and seemed to play just about anywhere and everywhere. God Speed the Plough sounds really of it’s time, but i threw it in to see what would happen!